The year started with incredible fireworks as Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell set the franchise record with 71 points scored in a single game — and it’s coming to an end with the Browns adding more unlikely last names to the infamous quarterback jersey.
In between, plenty of things happened in Cleveland’s sports scene.
The Cavaliers finished off a terrific regular season with a 51-31 record and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It was the best season the franchise has recorded without having a guy with the last name of James on the roster since 1992-93. That regular season didn’t bring the playoff success that many hoped it would. The team flamed out in the postseason, losing in the first round to the New York Knicks in five games.
Things didn’t go as planned for the Guardians, either. The team finished with a losing record for just the second time in Terry Francona’s 11 seasons as manager. Francona announced that it would be his last in the dugout before the season ended.
This leads us to the Browns. The season isn’t over, but it has been quite a whirlwind. As 2023 comes to a close, the team is fighting for a playoff berth despite starting four different quarterbacks in its first dozen games of the season. Deshaun Watson being knocked out for the season with a shoulder injury immediately following his best performance with the Browns hindered chances of a deep playoff run.
The more things change in this town, the more they stay the same.
Let’s run it back: Here are the five biggest sports stories of 2023.
Find more year-end stories: 2023 CLE Wrapped, Cleveland's Year in Review
(Photo courtesy Cleveland Guardians)
Tito Retires
When Francona took the then-Cleveland Indians managerial position in 2013 it felt as if he was a lifeline being called in to help a franchise that was lost in baseball’s wilderness. The organization hadn’t finished with a winning record in five seasons but found its spark in Francona. The team would reach the playoffs in five of the next eight seasons and in six of Francona’s 11 seasons in Cleveland, including a World Series berth in 2016. He announced that he would leave the dugout after the 2023 season as Cleveland’s all-time winningest manager. The Guardians hired Stephen Vogt to replace him in November and secured the top overall selection in next summer’s MLB Draft with a lottery victory. 
(Photo courtesy Cavs.com)
Cavs Ousted in the Playoffs
After a great regular season, the Cavaliers came up short in the postseason against the Knicks. They failed to outscore New York in what became a defensive slog of a series. With that in the rearview mirror, the pressure has ramped up on head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his roster of talented players. If success isn’t had next spring in the postseason, changes could be on the way in some capacity.
(Image courtesy Abigail Archer)
Browns Season Stays Alive Thanks to a Great Defense
After years of toiling in a land far below mediocrity, the Browns are now, at worst, a respectable football operation. At best, they’re a Super Bowl contender, even if that isn’t the case this season following the rash of injuries in their quarterback room. New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is partly to thank for that, as his arrival, along with stellar play by star defenders Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward, is a big reason for the team’s success.
(Photo courtesy Flickr.com / LBJ Library)
The Passing of a Legend
This past May, Northeast Ohio lost one of its greatest athletes of all time as Jim Brown passed away at the age of 87. Brown is regarded as one of the NFL’s greatest-ever players. He spent the entirety of his career in Cleveland, amassing more than 12,000 rushing yards in nine seasons. He was honored with a memorial service at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in early August. The Browns’ jerseys have had a patch in his memory during the 2023 season.
(Photo courtesy Cleveland Browns)
Speaking of Legends…
Canton is the center of the football universe for a week every August as all-time greats are inducted into its Pro Football Hall of Fame. This year felt a little bit more special for the area, as former Browns left tackle Joe Thomas headlined the Class of 2023.
Find more year-end stories: 2023 CLE Wrapped, Cleveland's Year in Review
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